I. Field of Invention
The invention generally relates to digital cinema and is more particularly related to scheduling one or a plurality of presentations in a digital cinema system.
II. Description of the Related Art
Video compression is a key factor of multimedia. An effective digital compression can reduce the cost as well as increase the quality of video displayed over any digital communication. One application of the video compression technique is in the motion picture industry.
In the traditional motion picture industry, theatre operators receive reels of celluloid film from a studio or through a distributor for eventual presentation in a theatre auditorium. The reels of film include the feature program (a full-length motion picture) and a plurality of previews and other promotional material, often referred to as trailers. The theatre operator may also be required or choose to present some of its own trailers, often comprising of local promotional and advertising material. A two hour motion picture plus five minutes of trailers, for example, generates approximately 11,250 feet of celluloid film. As a result, theatre operators may receive a two hour movie that is divided into five or six reels.
One way to present the multiple reels of film is to use two projectors. One projector is threaded with the first reel and the other projector with the second reel. The theatre operator starts the film on the first projector. At an appropriate time for a changeover, the theatre operator starts the second projector and stops the first projector. While the second reel is rolling, the theatre operator removes the first reel and threads a third reel on the first projector. This swapping continues throughout the presentation. Therefore, the theatre operator must monitor each presentation in each auditorium for the changeovers.
Alternatively, a device called a platter is also used in theatres. A platter may consist of two or more large discs of approximately four or five feet in diameter that are stacked vertically about one to two feet apart. The discs are large enough to hold one large spool of film, which the theatre operator assembles by splicing together all of the lengths of film from the different reels. Splicing is the process of cutting the end of one strip of film so that it carefully matches up to the beginning of the next strip of film, and then taping the strips together. This allows the theatre operator to show the entire presentation without changeovers.
Therefore, a theatre operator builds a xe2x80x9cplatterxe2x80x9d by sequencing reels of celluloid film in the order in which it is to be presented, and physically splicing together the film to be played by the projector. A theatre operator may also insert cues and milestones onto celluloid film by physically attaching trigger strips onto the film. Cues may be attached in between programming, or within a particular feature or trailer. Currently, a theatre operator controls auditorium environment through the use of theatre automation systems. Theatre automation systems control such functions as turning lights on and off, opening and closing curtains, and changing the projector lens. Theatre automation systems control these functions by reading a trigger strip physically placed onto the film as the film passes through a reader connected to the theatre automation system. Trigger strips are typically metallic or optical pieces of tape adhered onto the film. When the tape passes under the reader, an electrical signal is output to the theatre automation system.
Along with reels of films comprising features and trailers, the theatre operator receives one or more soundtracks to be played with each film. Soundtracks come in a variety of languages and sound formats. Sound formats, such as stereo, 7.1, or 5.1, refer to the number of channels the sound format requires. Because sound systems vary greatly from theatre to theatre, the studio or distributor typically ship multiple soundtracks for a given film.
Moreover, trailers and features each have associated ratings, which define the appropriateness of the material for a given audience. In the United States, ratings are labeled to motion pictures and trailers by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). However, different jurisdictions have different ratings systems, and not all jurisdictions are consistent as to the rating level of a given program. Accordingly, a theatre operator in a given jurisdiction need be conscious of the types of programs he plans to display together.
Therefore, when a theatre operator is building a platter, the operator must be careful to ensure that the platter is created accurately. For example, each image program should have the appropriate soundtrack loaded, in terms of language and sound format. Moreover, the image programs on the platter should have the appropriate ratings. That is, one wants to ensure that an xe2x80x9cRxe2x80x9d rated trailer is not displayed with a xe2x80x9cGxe2x80x9d rated movie. Further, cues must be inserted in the proper places and the correct lens needs to be attached to the projector in order for viewing at the proper display aspect ratio. However, human error is inevitable and all too frequent.
An evolution of the film industry is occurring as the industry moves from celluloid film to digitized image and audio programs. However, theatres are not equipped to process digital programming to create and schedule xe2x80x9cdigital platters.xe2x80x9d
Advances in digital technology have led to a distribution concept whereby presentation material is electronically stored in a digitized format. Digitized images may be distributed on various storage mediums such as magnetic media or compact optical discs, and/or transmitted over wired, fiber optic, wireless, or satellite communication systems.
To reduce the data rate requirement for the storage and/or transmission of high quality electronic images, compression algorithms are being developed. For example, absolute discrete cosine transform (ABSDCT) allows significant compression while preserving the quality of image signals. ABSDCT is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,891, entitled xe2x80x9cAdaptive Block Size Image Compression Method And System,xe2x80x9d assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. DCT techniques are also disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,345, entitled xe2x80x9cAdaptive Block Size Image Compression Method And System,xe2x80x9d assigned to the assignee of the present invention. Further, the use of the ABSDCT technique in combination with a Discrete Quadtree Transform technique is discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,104, entitled xe2x80x9cAdaptive Block Size Image Compression Method And System,xe2x80x9d also assigned to the assignee of the present invention.
Technologies such as ABSDCT offer the possibility of a xe2x80x9cdigital cinemaxe2x80x9d system. Generally defined, digital cinema refers to the electronic distribution and display of high quality film programming which has been converted to a digital electronic representation for storage, transmission, and display purposes. A digital cinema system would overcome many of the limitations of the current film distribution process. A digital system would not be subject to the quality degradation over time experienced by celluloid film. Further, a digital system may eliminate the theft and illegal duplication of films by allowing implementation of security measures within the digital system itself. Moreover, distribution of film information using a digital electronic format actually increases the potential for rapid, low-cost duplication without quality degradation.
With the advent of digital cinema systems, full-length motion pictures, trailers, advertisements and other audio/image xe2x80x9ccinema-qualityxe2x80x9d programs are delivered to theatres throughout the world using digital technology. Authorized theatres receive the digitized programs and store them, typically while still compressed. At each showing, the digitized information is retrieved via a local area network from the storage medium, then is decrypted if necessary, decompressed and displayed using cinema-quality electronic projectors featuring high quality digital sound.
In one embodiment, a presentation system comprises a theatre manager configured to control presentation and a scheduler configured to allow assignment of one playlist for presentation. The scheduler is also configured to allow assignment of one or more playlists for presentation by generating a schedule. The scheduler may be implemented in the theatre manager. The presentation system may further comprise a decoding module configured to prepare contents of each assigned playlist for playback. The decoding module may check the schedule and control playback of the contents of each playlist based on the schedule. Alternatively, the decoding modules may check the schedule and cue a user to control playback of the contents of each assigned playlist.
In another embodiment, a method for presentation comprises generating a schedule to assign one or more playlists for presentation and controlling presentation of the assigned one or more playlists based on the schedule. In still another embodiment, a presentation system comprises means for assigning a single playlist for presentation and means for generating a schedule to assign one or more playlists for presentation.
In the above embodiments, a message indicating a change in the schedule may be sent if a change is made in the schedule. Also, a verification that the digital cinema system has resources to present each assigned playlist can be performed when generating the schedule. The verification may be performed by the scheduler or the decoding module. Moreover, generation of the schedule may comprise designating a playlist as a repeating playlist and/or designating a playlist as an intermission playlist. The intermission playlist may either be assigned and presented between a predetermined two assigned playlists or be presented between each assigned playlist.
In a further, a method for generating a schedule comprises displaying a list of playlists, assigning one or more playlists for presentation based on the list and generating a schedule based on the assigned one or more playlists. The method may further comprise verifying that the digital cinema system has resources to present each playlist assigned in the schedule when generating the schedule, and rejecting assignment of a playlist in the schedule if the digital cinema does not have the resource. Also, the method may comprise either one or a combination of checking that each image program needed to present each playlist exists, checking that each audio program needed to present each playlist exists, checking that no security conflict exists, checking that no time conflicts are created and checking that there is no resource conflicts. The method may further comprise specifying a presentation start date of each selected playlist, specifying a presentation end date of each selected playlist, specifying the start time for one day, and/or replicating the start time across multiple days, starting on a presentation start date and ending on a presentation end date, if a presentation end date that is later than a presentation start date.
In yet a further embodiment, a method for decoding programs for presentation comprises checking a schedule to determine if there is a schedule entry for presentation, the schedule entry being comprised of one or more programs, and initiating playback of the schedule entry according to the schedule by appropriately decoding each program of the schedule entry. Checking the schedule comprises determining a next schedule entry for presentation.
Initiating playback comprises initiating playback of the next schedule entry according to the time it is scheduled to start. Here, determining the next schedule entry comprises determining the next schedule entry as the earliest schedule entry whose start time is equal to or greater than a current time.
Also, a user may be cued to control the playback of the next schedule entry. Here, determining the next schedule entry comprise locating a current schedule entry and determining an entry following the current schedule entry to be the next schedule entry; and otherwise determining the next schedule entry as the earliest schedule entry whose start time is equal to or greater than a current time.
In yet another embodiment, a decoding system for decoding programs comprises three states, an intermission state, a paused state and a running state. The decoding system comprises starting presentation of a currently scheduled playlist from the beginning of the playlist when a start command is received, if the decoding system is in an intermission state; starting presentation of the currently scheduled playlist from approximately the point the playlist was stopped when a start command is received, if the decoding system is in a paused state; entering the paused state when a stop command is received before completing the presentation of the playlist; and entering the intermission state either if a cancel command is received or if the presentation of the playlist is completed.
The system may comprise a decoding module with a user interface. Alternatively, the system may comprise a theatre manager having a user interface. The user interface may comprise either one or a combination of a visual indicator that signifies that the decoding system is online, a visual indicator that signifies that the decoding system is currently processing a playlist and a visual indicator that signifies that the decoding system is in the paused state. The user interface may also comprise either one or a combination of means for receiving the start command, means for receiving the pause command and means for receiving the cancel command.